| Coordinator's Note: Christmas Season |
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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day. As we recover from the hustle and bustle of the last few weeks, let us remember that in the Catholic Church, Christmas doesn’t end on Christmas Day. Christmas is a season, starting Christmas Day and lasting eight days, giving us more time to contemplate the mystery of the Word made Flesh and to fully celebrate the birth of our Savior. As we approach the end of the year and look forward to the New Year, let us pray and work for peace. Peace affects each one of us individually; we each want to be at peace with ourselves and our decisions, to find inner peace. Peace also affects our families and friends, our workplaces, and our local, national and international communities. January 1st is the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God and it is also the World Day of Peace in the Catholic Church. As we take a look at “2011 in Review,” we will also look at one challenge to peace: violence within the family. We include an article on domestic violence from a Catholic perspective as well as links to resources for victims of domestic violence as well as for parents who are feeling overwhelmed or simply need a little additional information or support. Br. Warren Perrotto, MSC JPIC Coordinator |
JPIC Corner December 2011
Did You Know?
1 in 4 women, and 1 in 9 men in the United States are victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives. (Source)
As many as 324,000 women each year experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy. (Source)
Verbal abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse before the age of 18 are all correlated with higher run away rates. (Source)
Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy. (Source)